Costa Rica Dental Tourism

I know how I felt when I first heard about “Costa Rica dental tourism”. I was thinking of dirt floors and chickens running around the dental chair! I found myself wanting to discard the idea right off the bat but I was open minded enough to check it out.

I found it’s a huge and very successful industry and to make a long story short, I went and not only was it great but I saved $8,100 even after paying for 2 airline tickets (we decided to make a vacation around my dental appointments), 10 days lodging and a return airline ticket and lodging 6 months later for the followup to apply my crowns to my implants.

After getting home, I posted my story and some pictures and I started getting inquiries from people who were trying to learn more just like I had done when I was doing my research. That’s grown into me helping others learn what I learned. If you’ve read the site and you’ve got a ton of questions like I had, you are welcome to contact me to get some answers.

For current posts, scroll down but please first read this original post which best explains our experience with Costa Rica Dental Tourism and how I can help you do what I did, i.e. get great dental care and save money. Feel free to contact me if you have questions about what it was like, tips, do’s and don’ts, etc. . . and to have the dentist contact you with specific details. Kurt

In June 2011, after 6 months of online research, I chose to look into something that was new to me, i.e. Costa Rica Dental Tourism. Basically, I changed dentists and it saved me over $8,100. Plus, Martha and I were able to enjoy a great vacation. These savings are even after travel costs!

I was very skeptical to the idea of going to another country for dental care, but it was saving a lot of money that opened my mind, and this is how I got there. But before I explain the how, check out these pictures we took while on our trip.

In November of 2009, my local dentist delivered some bad news to me about my teeth, i.e. that I needed quite a bit of work done. Long story short, I spent the next year looking for a solution. Waiting that long was not the smartest thing for me to have done, but it was a lot of money and I wanted to find a solution I could live with.

Some close friends heard me mention that I was needing dental work and how much money I was going to have to spend. They told me of a friend of theirs who went to Costa Rica for dental work to save money and asked if I would like to speak with him. I said, sure.

I had never considered going to another dentist locally, let alone in another country. At first thought, I was apprehensive about going to Costa Rica for dental work. It was not even a thought until I spoke with my friend’s friend who had actually went and was glad he did.

After 39 years with the same dentist (1972-2011), it took some self-convincing for me to make the leap. Kurt Gross, Tennessee, USA

We talked and that started me on a long online search for facts. I looked at websites and enrolled on forums about dental vacations in Costa Rica, and long story short, I ended up selecting my dentist.

This is my Dental Implants Costa Rica specialist who is helping get my smile back

Here is a picture of he and I that we took while there.

He is a specialist in dental implants and graduated from the University of Miami in Florida, but he had something I didn’t find anyone else had.

This dentist had a “dental coordinator” who handled all the questions, trip arrangements, etc.

His name is Charlie Dennard (in the middle with me and my wife Martha at the B&B, more about later) and he was a huge help in easing my mind about my concerns, answering my questions, etc.

Charlie is from the USA and now lives in San Jose, Costa Rica, so he knew the information I wanted to know about the area, the local traveling while there, the dentist, etc. He was of immense help planning the trip, etc.

Plus, he had been a patient himself, so he knew the concerns, procedure of the dental work, the local customs, the ins and outs – everything I wanted to know. The fact that Charlie was so helpful in preparing is what made my decision a slam dunk. In the end he was far better than I could have hoped for. Charlie was simply over the top with what all he was willing to do for us.

During the preparation stage, he put us in touch with a B&B in Escazu which is just west of San Jose, Costa Rica in a nice part of the city. And Ginette, the owner of the B&B we selected, has been more than anyone could ask for.

Ginette’s travel tips for getting around in Costa Rica were priceless, not to mention the wonderful fruit filled breakfasts each morning. Whatever we wanted to eat, she prepared for us and the breakfasts for both of us were included with the room.

And the setting was gorgeous with all the tropical plants, flowers and birds that surrounded us at the B&B.

Between Ginette and Charlie, it was like having our own personal travel guides at our beck and call anytime we needed it.

While there, between dental appointments, we were able to visit the pacific coast. Ginette booked us into a nice place just outside the Manuel Antonio National Park. We walked from our room to the park and saw sloths, monkeys, colorful birds, red crabs in the jungle and went to the beach inside the park. It was exactly like that deserted beach you picture seeing in your mind. It was great!

The next day, we booked a sailing and snorkling tour through our hotel staff.

After returning to the dentist in San Jose for another appointment and a short stay back at our ‘home-away-from-home’ at the B&B, we travelled up north in Costa Rica to the Arenal Volcano area. The resort we stayed at was like a fairy tale place, only it was real. The view from our room was of the Arenal Volcano.

On the grounds of the resort there were so many places to visit and things to do that it is hard to name them all. There was horseback riding, zip lines, swimming pools of different temperatures fed by the hot springs of the Arenal Volcano, a 2 kilometer hike to an observatory, a butterfly farm, crocidile pools, a frog sanctuary, spas, shopping, a restaurant, a gazebo out in the middle of a lake and other things I may be forgetting to mention.

This picture of Martha, taken at one of their many pools, shows the beauty of the place so well that it looks like it is fake and taken in a studio. It’s a great example of just how “shangrila” this place really is.

The room was reasonably priced and included a breakfast buffet that was delicious including fresh fruits and locally grown coffee and everything you could want. Most meals were ‘tico’ style which means they included rice and beans. All in all, great food!

I wish I were a better writer so I could maybe do justice to the help that Charlie and Ginette were to us. They made this a trip that not only saved me over $8,100 including airfare and the lodging, but we also had a dream vacation to a beautiful country as well.

I can’t repay them enough with words for all they did for us but hopefully this testimonial will help them and others connect so they too can have the great time and save money like we did.

Charlie and Ginette certainly made our Costa Rica dental vacation much more enjoyable. The security of knowing they were there for us allowed us to relax and enjoy our trip to the Pacific coast and to the Arenal Volcano much more than we might have otherwise had we had to figure it all out on our own.

Of course, dental work is never fun, but even that has been excellent and as pleasant as could be expected. The professionalism of the staff at the dental clinic was above my expectations. I look forward to my return in December to complete my dental implants in Costa Rica!

UPDATE: It’s now May 6, 2012 and it’s been 6 months since my return trip in Dec 2011 to get my crowns put on the implants I got in June 2011. It’s like having my own teeth – again! I only wish I had discovered Costa Rica dental tourism and Costa Rica dental tourism earlier!

Kurt & Martha Gross

To make personal contact with us, go to the Contact Us link or call direct. We are in the eastern time zone and you are welcome to call between 10:00am and 11:00pm at 865 466-9207 or email us at kurtray@gmail.com and we will be in touch to answer your questions about our Costa Rica Dental vacation.

Remember:Our service is no cost to you. We help you get answers and we can arrange a consultation with you and the dentist before you decide anything. We are available to you, 24/7 for your added convenience and security. This is a personal service that our dentists offers for anyone interested in Costa Rica Dental Tourism.

10 Responses to Costa Rica Dental Tourism

As you stated, I am looking into a substantial amount of dental work. I need information to best make a good choice. I’m looking for someone experienced in dental basal implants/ “all on six”. I will be traveling from California hopefully in late June or early July. Any and all the information that you could provide to me would be greatly appreciated.
Dentist, lodging, cost of procedure etc.

please give me some advise – recently had tooth extracted -lower 3rd tooth from front-needs bone graft- approx. what is fee for consult, bone graft, implant, abutment and crown and then similar bed and breakfast as described on this website -thank you

I live in Ontario and I am 64 yrs.old. I have a small upper plate but now I have a couple of loose teeth and have had 3 teeth missing at the bottom back. A lot of my teeth have been removed due to gum problems. I have always had good dental care but I am really getting down heartened with my present situation.The costs in Canada are overwhelming. What kind of costs are we dealing with there? Thanks so much.

So everyone will know, anyone using our service will receive an airfare rebate up to $500.00 if their treatment plan is $8k or more.

Also, if they provide a current (within 6 months) treatment plan by their local dentist, Dr Mario can respond back to them within 5 days with his own price schedule for their treatment plan so they can see the actual cost for them.

Also, if anyone happens to be traveling in Costa Rica they can receive a full dental check-up with standard x-rays and a comprehensive treatment plan for only 50.00.

I am not a Dentist. But I know a good one when I see one. In 2011, I was a patient and now I help people get their info together in a format like the dentist wants and send it to the dentist. There is no cost for my help. If you like, feel free to call me at 865 466 9207 to talk.

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Tips To Know:

1. No Cost To You.Our services cost you nothing. We do dental concierge better than the dentist and for less. The dentist wants to do dental work, so I help gather the preliminary information for him. And I help you with additional non-dental questions like travel, passport, visa, local transportation, lodging, customs, etc.

2. Security Thru Knowledge.When traveling to a foreign country, knowing what to do, and what not to do, can be crucial, let alone save you time and money. I found that all my concerns went away when I had an in-country concierge person there to help me once I arrived in Costa Rica. In fact, that's why I decided to launch this concierge service and put this website together. Having someone 'in country' made ALL the difference for us.